FAQ - For Prospective Volunteers

Q: How do I apply to volunteer with Rotaplast?A: If you are a medical professional, please consult our medical volunteers section to find out if you are eligible and download an application. If you are interested in becoming a non-medical volunteer with Rotaplast you can learn more about the work done on a mission and download an application in our non-medical volunteers section.

Q: What is the length of a Rotaplast mission? What is a typical schedule?A: Travel time is two to three days. One day, usually Sunday, is set aside for fellowship with host Rotarians. The first full working day is the clinic day when our volunteer surgeons and pediatricians screen the patients that will receive surgery. Six to eight consecutive days of surgery follow the clinic. The last day is another clinic day when patients are examined one last time and parents are given final post-op care instructions.

Q: How many people are on a Rotaplast team?A: A typical team has 30 members. Under special circumstances, the team size may be as small as 20 or as large as 45. A team will usually run three operating rooms daily for six to eight days. Each operating room requires a plastic surgeon, an anesthesiologist, an operating room nurse, and other support volunteers. The number of operating rooms determines the size of the recovery staff. Rotaplast includes a dentist, orthodontist, and speech pathologist on many of its teams. A genetic component is sometimes included which affords counseling to affected families and a venue for research. Approximately two-thirds of a Rotaplast team is made up of medical professionals and the remaining third are non-medical volunteers.

Q: Who covers the expenses of each Mission?
A: Rotaplast pays the airfare for all medical volunteers and asks that non-medical volunteers pay for their own airfare. As group booking is necessary for logistical reasons, all volunteers are booked as a group through a travel agency appointed by Rotaplast. All volunteers should also budget some money for personal spending. In most sites breakfast and lunch are hosted meals, in some sites dinner is also hosted. Shopping opportunities occur in some sites, but are limited in others. For more specific information about any site, contact Daniel DeSanto .